Just Beyond the Fingertips
by pyro-pixiechik
Summary: A connection forged, but not understood. A bloodline once thought lost. One of the Dark. One in the Light. They will war with each other until one falls. But don't they know that one can't exist without the other? An expansion/continuation of my one-shot Who Can Decide What They Dream. Slow-burn Kylo/Rey
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone! Since I got such positive feedback for my little Star Wars one-shot, I decided to expand the story. I'll be weaving parts of the Expanded Universe, as well as The Old Republic games, into this fic. Don't worry, I won't be taking down my one shot, I'm just starting from the very beginning of it. So without further ado, here it goes!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.**

Chapter 1: So It Begins

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" _ **What is this magic that we seek? The mighty strong to mighty weak. Every good girl hears it. Every bad boy fears it." ~ "The Power", Cher**_

* * *

 _The skies of Ahch-To were darkening steadily as the young scavenger known only as Rey stood feet away from the cloaked form that she hoped was Luke Skywalker. As if he could sense her thoughts (and it was highly likely he could), he turned around slowly to face her. He seemed to regard her underneath the hood that still shrouded his appearance. A beat passed, followed by another, before he lifted his arms and slid the hood off. And Rey found herself gazing into the wizened face of the great Jedi Master. Slipping a trembling hand inside her satchel, she withdrew the old lightsaber and held it out to him..._

Rey sprinted across, the sound of her feet against stone almost echoing in the quiet morning. With a grunt, she sprung upward and grasped the rope, swinging it to the next one. Luke observed from below, along with Chewbacca and R2-D2. The Wookie growled encouragingly as the young Padawan raced across another section and was now doing backflips over a series of hurdles.

"Excellent, Rey!" commended Luke as Rey landed her last backflip in front of him.

"That...that was...incredible..." Rey said in between pants.

She sat down on a large rock next to the training platform. Chewbacca offered her a canteen, which she took gratefully. R2-D2 rolled up to her, beeping and booping proudly. She smiled affectionately at the little droid and took a gulp of water. It had only been two days since they had set foot on Ahch-To. Master Luke had seemed distant, even cold, toward her.

* * *

" _I have not trained a Padawan in years. Not since a former pupil of mine was seduced by the Dark Side and destroyed everything I had built. Why should I train you?" he said._

" _It called to me. I could feel it. When I faced him on that Starkiller Base, that was when I felt it strongest," she replied._

" _You felt the power. That's exactly what it was that turned him over to the Dark Side. How would you fare any differently from him?" he asked._

" _I...I don't know. All I know is that so many people have suffered because of him. He...he must be stopped, but there's no one strong enough to do that," she answered._

" _And you believe that by training to be a Jedi, you'll have enough strength to stop him?"_

" _This isn't about who's stronger. It's about what's right. I...I thought I'd seen enough suffering on Jakku, but...this...what he's done is far worse."_

* * *

And as the old saying goes, it all went uphill from there. Seeing the passion in her eyes, fueled by the desire to do the right thing, had moved the legendary Jedi Master, and he agreed to train the young former scavenger. He had allowed her a day to get settled into her living quarters, a small cottage of sorts, before having her begin. She thought it odd that she was to start on physical training, but Master Luke had told her that endurance of the body was just as important as endurance of the mind. And judging by the approving nod and brief smile he was presently giving her, Rey knew he was impressed. An able body was practically a requirement for the scavenging life of Jakku, after all.

"Very good, Rey, that's excellent. Your speed and agility are remarkable," said Luke, moving aside so Chewbacca could hand her a clean rag .

She took it and wiped the sweat off her face.

"Living in the desert and fending for yourself will do that to you. It's a means of survival," she said, taking another gulp from the canteen. "But why should that matter, Master Luke? I thought the Jedi used the Force."

Luke offered her a hand and pulled her to a standing position. He motioned with his head for her to follow him. Rey glanced at Chewbacca, uncertainty in her eyes. The Wookie gave her a gentle nudge and another growl of encouragement.

"I'll see you in a little while!" she called back, falling into step beside Luke.

Master and Padawan followed one of the many trails of the island. This one appeared to be leading them into a heavily wooded area. Rey stayed silent, knowing her Master had something to say, but had a feeling he was waiting for the right moment to. Minutes seemed to drag on and on. It wasn't until what felt like twenty minutes later and they had reached a clearing with a small stream, that Luke spoke.

"Your patience is admirable. You have exceeded my expectations thus far. Tomorrow, after physical training, I will introduce you to the ways of the Force and how to wield it," he said, kneeling by the stream.

"I don't understand, Master Luke. What did I do?" Rey asked, sitting on a log and stretching out her legs.

"You may not have realized it, but the Force was in you the entire time, guiding you. Even now, it flows through you. With time and patience, you will surely be able to wield the Force with ease."

Luke turned his head to look at Rey. Seeing her looking confused, he said, "A Jedi's strength flows from the Force. An old Master taught me that a long time ago. Seeing you train today, seeing your endurance and patience, I have little doubt that you will become an excellent Jedi."

Her? A Jedi? Rey did not know what to say; she wasn't used to this sort of praise. But she was excited. And determined. Oh, she was determined. She would not let the poor excuse for a man behind the mask win. And as she followed Luke out of the clearing to head back to the training grounds, she made a promise to herself to become worthy of the title of Jedi.

* * *

 _They stood across from each other, circling around each other. Sabers were activated. There was no fanfare, there never was between them. The red lanced forward, only to be met by blue. The blue blade was just in front of her face, its glow illuminating her features. He snarled; that was_ his _blade,_ his _birthright. That little scavenger had no right to desecrate it with her hands. With a forceful push, he'd shoved her to the snow-covered ground. A final thrust, and he impaled her through the heart..._

Kylo Ren opened his eyes and bellowed, shooting upright in his bed. His chest...there was a terrible pain in it. He clutched at it, breathing raggedly and trying to shake the sensation of having his heart skewered clean through with a molten-hot spear. His heart...or what was left of it anyway. Before he even had time to ponder though, he was suddenly overcome with a strong wave of exhaustion, and immediately collapsed back onto his bed, still clutching at his chest.

* * *

Luke stood outside the cottage of his sleeping Padawan, looking at the moon. The day's physical exertion had finally tired her out, and she had gone to sleep shortly after their evening meal. Luke sighed. Tomorrow, the real training will begin, and he hoped against hope that...

Chewbacca growled, startling Luke out of his thoughts. The Wookie joined him outside, satisfied that Rey was resting now and R2 was charging.

"Yes, Chewie. I know she's the one. She's the only one who can, of that, I'm sure," he said.

Another growl, and a pat on the arm.

"I know. I'll not make the same mistake again."

In her bed, Rey tossed and turned, holding her hand to her heart.

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 **Yes, I know this is a bit short. This is just the beginning. Longer chapters from here on out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I'm back with chapter 2! I'd meant to post this a few days ago but I wasn't pleased with how it looked, so I made a few adjustments. Hope ya like!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.**

Chapter 2: Natural

" _ **Love, love is a verb. Love is a doing word. Fearless on my breath. Gentle impulsion shakes me, makes me lighter. Fearless on my breath."~ "Teardrop", Massive Attack**_

* * *

The morning found both Master and pupil at the training grounds. Rey was arched over backwards, palms of hands and soles of feet planted firmly on the ground in a perfect back bridge, preparing for her run-through of the obstacle course. Her eyes were closed, her breathing even as she tried to focus on the Force the way Master Luke had instructed her.

 _Breathe in, breathe out. Feel the Force flow through. Let it be the guide. Clear the mind. There are no emotions. There is only peace,_ she thought to herself.

"Alright, Rey. You may now begin," said Master Luke.

Bracing her hands and arms, Rey slowly raised her left leg until her toes were pointing the air. Then she raised her right leg as her left continued to trail down and for a moment, she was doing a side-split in the air, before they touched the ground again. She uncurled her torso slowly and faced her teacher. She gave him a nod, signaling that she was ready to begin, and then turned to the obstacle course. Inhaling deeply, she focused again. And then she was off.

Luke observed his young Padawan a little more closely today. Her feet now barely touched the ground as she raced through the first part. The swinging from rope to rope went much smoother. In fact, it seemed as if she stayed in the air a few seconds longer than she did yesterday. When she got to the hurdles, she decided to vault them instead of doing backflips. It was clear to the old Jedi that this young scavenger girl, turned Jedi Padawan, was going to be a natural. As if to prove his hunch, Rey landed her final vault in front of him.

Luke cleared his throat.

"Your speed and agility are greatly enhanced by the Force, though you may not be fully aware of it yet," he remarked.

"Well, the course did seem a lot simpler to me this time around. I simply assumed it was because I'd already done it yesterday," Rey admitted.

"Yes and no," he said with a chuckle, motioning her to follow him as he went along another trail. "True, you've already done it once. But your movements today were much smoother. They came so much more naturally, like breathing would be."

Rey went silent, thinking about his words. Now that he mentioned it, it felt as if her body knew exactly what to do. Sure, she did know the layout of the training grounds now. But that was pretty much it. Whether or not it was her body drawing strength from the Force like Master Luke had told her last night, she didn't know. But Maker, she hoped it was true.

Lost in her musings, she almost walked right into her teacher, who had stopped in front of a small, discolored building; so old that it was covered in vines, moss, and even a few branches of a small tree poking through the thatched roof. There was a certain beauty about it though, in the faded earthy redness of its time-worn walls. The old wooden door, half-hanging from the hinges, gave the old building a melancholic feel. To Rey, it almost appeared as if it was waiting for someone to come back.

"Master Luke...what is this place? It's so forlorn..." Rey murmured, staring at it.

"This was to be the training hall. Younglings and Padawans would use it to hone their skills in dueling. There was also a meditation garden behind it," Luke began. "It would have been a small school, but much progress would have been made."

"What happened?" Rey asked after a moment of silence.

"A betrayal. At the hands of my best and most ambitious student. He was always wanting more, always pushing the limits of the Jedi code. He was never satisfied with just peace, having been ruled by his emotions even as a child. He began to show darkness within himself as time went by. And though he tried to fight it, he was eventually seduced by darkness, by promises of greater power. I built this as a memorial, and as a reminder of my failure."

Rey's eyes widened as Master Luke told his story. She knew who it was that he spoke of; she had just battled him a mere few days ago. A brief flash of anger sparked in her at the memory of his face. So deceivingly beautiful, but with eyes as dark and dead as his black soul, yet with a madness that chilled her to her bones. She pushed back her anger, breathing deeply as she did so. _There is no emotion. There is only peace._ The anger faded away and calmness took over again. She had always been master of her own emotions, and she did not intend for it to change. Wearing one's heart for all to see was a sign of weakness, as she had learned on Jakku. It would be a poor display indeed if she let her emotions govern her now.

"Impressive, Rey."

She turned to her Master, puzzled by his words of praise. He chuckled softly again before speaking.

"As you now know, the Jedi Code instructs followers to never give in to emotions such as anger. It also forbade the forming of attachments. Can you tell me why?"

"Giving into dark emotions makes one susceptible to the influence of the Dark Side. Having attachments can also render one vulnerable to the Dark as well. A practitioner of the Dark Side of the Force can find weaknesses, such as insecurities, in those attachments and exploit them by sowing the seeds of doubt and gradually turning them. However, this does not mean Jedi are uncaring. In the end, all lives are precious," said Rey automatically, catching herself off-guard.

Luke looked thoughtful. This young Padawan had surprised him yet again. She understood, or was making an effort to, at least, the way of the Jedi. Under careful tutelage, she would make a fine Jedi. A Jedi destined for greatness.

He hesitated, seemingly debating whether or not he should tell his student so soon. It was not the most assuring thing to hear, and he did not want to frighten her. But then again, she had faced the darkness known as Kylo Ren, and lived to tell the tale. Kylo Ren. The Fallen One. The Master of the Knights of Ren. Ben Solo. His only nephew. The one who could only be saved by-

He shook his head. He didn't want to think about _that_ just yet. True, Rey did show a potential grasp of the force, but he needed to be absolutely sure before he subjected her to that kind of burden. Even if it was really her destiny. He sighed. He knew what he needed to ask her to do. He only hoped that she could perform it better than he had long ago, when he himself had been training.

* * *

He was stalking the corridors of _The Finalizer_ when it hit him like a sandstorm on Tatooine. Utter concentration and what felt suspiciously like peace came at him, wave upon wave. Kylo Ren staggered, having not felt anything of this sort in years and years. It was raw and not quite refined, but it was powerful. And it was suffocating him.

He made haste to his quarters, locking the door immediately after it slid shut. He unlocked his mask, pulling it off and set it on the table. He barely made it to the 'fresher when his knees buckled and he had to grab onto the wash-basin before he sank to the floor. Taking deep breaths, he closed his mind to this stifling _peace._ Inhale, exhale, until he felt it no more. He felt relief...for all of five seconds. Then another wave of feelings hit him. This time felt different. Pure elation was coursing through his mind now. He stumbled over to his bed and slumped over, head feeling dizzy. He closed his eyes, hoping it would stop, whatever it was.

* * *

Rey was in a bridge position again. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply. Slowly, she lifted up her left hand, keeping her right planted firmly on the ground, and stretched out her fingers toward the old building she knew was in front of her. Master Luke had requested she test out her reach of the Force by having her attempt to use it to clear out the rocks that had accumulated around the memorial training hall over the years.

For the first few minutes that felt like hours, it felt like nothing was happening. Frustration bloomed in her, but she mentally gave it a shove and began to focus on her breathing. Her skin, flushed with heat and beading with sweat from the morning's physical training, began to cool, feeling the sensation run from the tips of her outstretched fingers to her toes. She could almost imagine a river running through her body. No, wait...it was more like the river traveling through her veins. And all she wanted to do was to follow that river wherever it would take her: the oceans, the forests, the jungles, the glaciers, the swamps, the stars. Anywhere, really.

"Rey. Look."

The sound of Master Luke's voice brought her back to reality and she opened her eyes. She straightened out of her bridge position...and then realized why Luke had brought her out of her near-trance. While the larger rocks were still on the ground, nearly all of the smaller rocks and pebbles were levitating a few feet in the air in front of her. Rey gasped, taken aback at what she apparently made happen, and all the pebbles dropped to the dirt. She stared, wide-eyed, at her Master, too in awe to say anything.

Luke returned her gaze, something that felt like hope flickering in his chest. Yes, she was powerful. But she had proven yet again to be able to quickly govern her emotions, something he had not been able to do as effectively when he was her age. The control she had over mind and body was astounding, and was fast cementing his belief in her. She would be the one.

"Rey," he said again. "You have done well this morning. Your grasp of the Force is truly remarkable, unlike any Padawan I have trained in the past."

Rey grinned at him, feeling surprised but proud.

"What will we work on next?" she asked, trying to ignore the wave of fatigue creeping in her limbs.

"Nothing yet. You need rest and nourishment. It can be quite exhausting, using the Force, and your training will only get more strenuous from this point onward. It is important you maintain your health," he said, smiling with vague amusement at his Padawan's eagerness.

Rey nodded her understanding, and followed him back to the little cottage, where Chewie and R2 were likely already awake and waiting for her. She couldn't wait to tell them everything she accomplished this morning.

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 **Thanks again for reading this, guys. Until next chapter! Which I am currently making modifications to because my playlist is giving me tons of potential story points.**


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